The Life of Dwight
by TheoCaesarMoseby
Summary: The misadventures of a lonely, anxious man trying to find meaning in life, instead stuck in a repeating process of pain and torment through various ways. Seemingly forever. Trying to get along with his new 'friends' will be incredibly difficult, but if he doesn't try their souls are consumed into the abyss. Sadly, working with others is not one of Dwight's strongest suits.
1. Chapter 1: Good Night

Life of Dwight – Chapter 1: Good Night

Life wasn't easy.

Something always found a way to throw a spanner in the works, making things much more difficult than they ever should be. A day where one can relax and be calm these days seems to be less likely than winning the lottery. Negative emotions become common place, the stress of coping with every passing second, knowing it could be your last. The anxiousness of the unknown and unforeseen, that may occur, or may not. Pain becomes habitual. The mind slowly breaking apart piece by piece, day by day, knowing full well the endless circle of hell will never end, no matter how hard you try to seek peace. Agony no ordinary man or woman could ever cope with.

Dwight was not like other men or women. Yet, he knew it best. Being ostracized amongst a sea of heads that turn away from you with scowls of irritation or laughter of mockery always made him felt miserable, despair eating him up inside. He always felt crammed while feeling so alone. Trying to convince himself that these unhealthy social interactions where nothing to him, and that he had gotten used to it. He was very conflicted on whether or not he was succeeding at ignoring the unpleasantries of the world, or if he was failing at subsisting with the pressure.

No inkling of a doubt, he knew he was failing.

It's not that he couldn't get along with anyone else, he was friendly and polite, just lacking charisma he thought. His anxious nature, however and made him a pushover in the eyes of many, a useless tool to help with others delight, through his misery. Middle school wasn't that bad. He had a few friends, that with time, dissolved into cruel torment. How new people in his life could change everything. His vision deficiency forced him to wear glasses from a young age. Being called 'Four-eyes' was generous. Going to boy scouts didn't help matters. No one could really find someone who knew 55 different ways of trying a knot to be interesting. He was labelled a nerd, even though his test results were sub-adequate. It wasn't that he was dumb, he couldn't concentrate hard enough and buckled under the pressure of the teachers, and his parents, who had high expectations of him. At least that delusion ended quickly soon after. Yet, he never heard the end of it.

His best bet was to avoid social interactions at much as possible. He managed to blend himself out of the crowds to become another blur to the internet-centric teenagers, their short-attention spans who could breeze through life with their bright futures, relaxed and calmed in their cliques and their loving families. A grand old time.

His time was currently spent sitting on a wooden log in front of the flaring yet controlled fire, staring at the open night sky, the stars far away twinkling and shining over the dulled darkness looming over the tents around him, deep in the woods. It did look pretty to him. He had camped before during his boy scouts days… it was okay, he supposed.

Being a park ranger was, in many ways, relatively peaceful. Listening to the swoosh of the leaves and feeling the calm breeze was joyful. He couldn't look away from the various activities explorers and tourists did amongst themselves, how they had fun together, while littering rather too often, to his annoyance. The occasional roar of a wild bear from miles away was rather concerning. Still no one had encountered one... yet. Though never an immediate danger in his mind, he'd always had the ability to concentrate and anticipate danger that's near. He had a keen sense of hearing, developed as he would often encounter someone jump scaring him from behind a tree. Teenagers can be mean.

A 'team-building' exercise, his boss phrased it. He still didn't quite understand the point behind it, even after the dull, lengthy explanations of 'teamwork'. Did it have to involve camping deep in the middle of nowhere, far from home base? He was still very hesitant, he felt like the darkness was getting to him. The flaring yet controlled fire burned calmly in front of his glowing co-workers, seemingly unphased by any of his worries, laughter and singing. It was nice to experience… even if only he sat along watching from the opposite side of the chopped-down wooden logs placed in a circle. He was too focused of a wild animal attacking him, a major problem that could occur. Everyone brushed it off too easily.

"You okay there Dwight, man?" Ian asked, a drink in his hand as he sat down next to him. They had always been on good terms, even if he talked rarely, and much preferred to be alone sometimes when he would rant about his problems. Primarily about how irritated he was that related to his parents in some way. He didn't like to pry in others personal life. He could also annoy him by the occasional prank. He didn't take it kindly, but still, he was much nicer than the others. "You've been sitting here all night by yourself looking like you've seen ghosts."

Dwight glanced towards the ground before shrugging, "T-There's not much to do oth-otherwise."

"You're stuttering more again," Ian sighed. "Nothing's gonna hurt us out here, man. All the wild animals have moved out for the season. Hibernation's starting." He nodded, wishing he could. He couldn't figure out how his stutter began, or why it just came and go, but sticks around long enough to be annoying to him, and he assumed, to everyone else.

Well at least he cares. Ian then handed his drink towards him. "Have this, it'll calm your nerves."

He put up his hands. "No t-thanks, I don't drink."

"It's only moonshine, personally made by yours truly," He did a bowing motion, smirking. That made him _not_ want to drink it even more, but remained silent. He didn't hide his concerned look very well. "What? I know how to made a good brew. My dad was a bartender, we're a reliable source of alcohol." At his nervous silence, Ian groaned. "C'mon man, you need to ease up for once in a while. You can't be scared for the rest of your life."

"I'm not scared…" He broke off, staring into the distance. The forest looked darker than before, the shine of the moon dull by the clouds. "I d-don't want to drink a-all. Ha-haven't you seen the ot-others after they've t-taken on-one sip?"

Ian glanced at the others as they shared they're fun. On second thought, perhaps too much fun. "Yes… but you're certainly much more reasonable than them. It won't hurt, man. It isn't made out of honey or anything."

Dwight cringed at that memory, shaking his head before rubbing it. He has been trying hard, incredibly hard, to not be anxious… in general. He couldn't change his nature, if anything, had been a major benefit to him. If you asked him. Being worried always made him more aware of his surroundings, and what could transpire next. Being calm, being complacent could lead to a moment of lost concentration, a moment where someone or something could end everything.

To be honest, the worst that occurred was a bucket of goo falling on his head after opening a door. A prank meant for someone else, yet the laughs wouldn't stop for weeks. Still, you never know.

He glanced at the moonshine. He had never drunk before, not that he was missing out of anything. He had heard stories, how alcohol affects the mind and body for the worst. He was more of an apple juice kind of guy.

Ian was getting impatient. "Look, just try and be open to new things for once, please? You always follow a certain pattern that I've noticed man, and you are starting to get boring."

He blinked at that. "Haven't you s-said before that this en-entire j-job was boring?"

"No. Irritating, getting on my nerves. Especially that…" He looked over towards they're boss, a muscular man in his mid-40s talking with a young cute blond girl in her early 20s. Looking rather dazed at her drawling southern accent, taking a swig of moonshine, a smile appearing. At least for a moment. Ian shook his head before he made a bad mistake. "Just take a sip at least. I know I owe you… a couple." Only a _couple_? "But c'mon man, every deserves to be happy. And I don't think I've ever seen you smile… Or I'll leave you alone, as you seem to wish all the time, and you can enjoy the bear that's behind that bush there."

He was sure he was just saying that… he didn't turn around. And sighed. "M-Maybe it'll ta-taste nice…" He softly grabbed the glass from Ian, who's smile brightened significantly. He sniffed it first… slightly nauseating. Wasn't this modified whiskey or something- hey, isn't Moonshine illegal in this state? Well no officer was here… He took a sip, and recoiled from the awful and weird taste. He still swallowed it. Ian raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Instead, looking over at the blonde girl begging to pass out from drinking a bit too much. He was surprised that his boss allowed him to make moonshine, and figuring out he wanted to learn how to do it himself. 'Old washed-up drunk', Ian distastefully considered.

He turned back to Dwight to realise he had sculled the whole thing within the next ten seconds. Both of his eyebrows were raised, impressed… and worried. He didn't think he had ever drunk before, just based off his unique personality. But he seemed happy with himself. Indeed, Dwight enjoyed the aftertaste. It felt really good. Landing wonderfully in his stomach, his smiled goofily at the now empty glass, as Ian began to grow worried. The moon seemed to shine brighter than it ever had before, the stars warped into a warm glow that melted with the twisted void that slowly encapsulated his vision.

And quickly began to black out, howling a deep yawn, falling to the dirt floor. Ian's panicked concerns out to him fell on his deaf ears, as he was out for good.

* * *

The roar of the crows alerted his muddled mind from nausea. He'd never been hungover before, and wished it never happened again. He gathered his thoughts as he got to his knees, rubbing his face. Oh dear the moonshine did a number on him, growling intensely. Refusing to empty his stomach, he was shaky getting to his feet, but stayed balanced…

Where is everyone?

His slow glanced quickly turned into panicked scanning over the drastic change of scenery. The campfire, the moonshine machine structure and all of his co-workers had entirely disappeared, the forest seemed slimmer in size with numerous brick-structures placed in between, the sky was a vivid dark blue with the stars faded out of existence. A rather oversized and run-down shack with a big pallet with mixed colours and timber. And to his right a metal pole with a meat hook placed at the top, blood dripping with rust all over- Is that a large bear trap on the ground? And what happened to his clothes? His former outfit had been replaced with a white shirt and tie, along with grey pants that he wore a number of times...

He stared into space, many engulfing emotions swirling in his head, unable comprehend where and how…

Deep breaths, Dwight. Deep breaths. You needed to calm down. Don't let this place get to you. It won't hurt you, nothing will hurt you. Deep breaths, in… and out. In…

He deflated onto a wooden log, rubbing his face with a moan. Never again was he ever drinking. He pinched himself, analysing his surroundings again. Still different. The moon had grown in size, as many black birds flew by with intent. A big flock that unnerved him, flying into the far distance. The dreary trees shadowed over him, soaring with amazingly large height, branches spiking into each other. He had to assume his nausea was effect his eyesight. His glasses worked as well as it ever did. Three new scratches. He couldn't stop quaking from the unknown he resided himself in. The breeze was heavier than normal, and a somewhat dense fog seemed to seep into everything it could reach.

Where to start.

He figured Ian had the right intentions, as he seemed to more often than not (other than his cruel 'pranks'), and his new found experience with alcohol overwhelmed his senses, as his confusion does now. Was it another prank? This place stood out too well from any isolated small town he'd ever been too. There were a couple of these meat hook poles near these abandoned unfinished and bizarre structures with knee-high window holes that looked big enough to jump through. They repeated. Often.

He felt very cold.

He had come across an oddly oversized machine, perhaps a generator of sorts, turned-off with broken lights at the very top. Eight cylinders, four on either side. He tilted his head, unsure what to make of this. It didn't seem connected to anything. He tried kicking it, nothing happened. He was never good with machines, other than computers. Even then, he never figured out how others managed to disassemble and reassemble them.

He laid his back against it, glancing around and noticing more machines like this, one with lights shining into the sky, the cylinders pacing up and down incredibly fast. There's a way to turn these on? He glanced back with a raised eyebrow… them slumped. How, exactly, could he figure that out-

There must be someone else here. Surely? With tingling excitement which scared him faintly, he began to search around every brick wall and tree he could find. The landmarks were placed strangely, and he noticed repeating patterns with walls shaped like Ts and Ls. Not to mention the giant wall that stretched around him and every structure, for miles. These pallets seemed spread out, some already destroyed maybe, with debris left behind. And a series of worn-down red lockers, placed seemingly at random, with two abandoned axes placed in each of them. They appeared very heavy to lift. To no avail, he couldn't spot anyone. Maybe that had already left-

 ***SNAP***

The metal claws gashing into his shin made him scream in agony, falling over with bewildered horror. He had stepped into a bear-trap, concealed in the thick grass. He bawled as blood spewed onto the ground. "Get it off get it off…!" Yelling over and over to thin air, to physically weak to rip the jaws off his leg. He had managed to throw up in the process, eventually lying on his back as his eyes wandered aimlessly into the trees covering the sky. Deep breaths, deep breaths. It's not that bad, it's not that- His whimpering got louder whenever he moved his leg, so he froze hyperventilating. "Why me…" He sobbed over and over, planting his hands on his teary-stricken face into the night.

A minute passed, nothing but a crow circling above his agony. He laid his back against a locker, reaching over to try and pull the metal claws off. Every attempt, the sharp pain intensified, he had to stop out of sheer overwhelming suffering. His anxious shaking intensified too. He couldn't ask who placed this in the grass, not with the looming fear of fainting becoming more and more realistic with every passing second.

Many deep breaths, sweat pouring down his face. Another minute, another crow circled above and joined the other. The loud caws echoed into his ears, his mind screaming so many things he felt like wanting to pass out. He didn't want… Focus Dwight! He slapped himself, steading (as best he could) his hands on the trap again, a deep shudder escaping into the wind. He tried wrenching the claws apart, his arms felt as if they were going to snap, wavering weakly. He wasn't strong, he just happened to be tall and lanky. He was tall and lanky, demeanour of nervousness and no confidence. And he wasn't… exactly used… to having… to pull off…

He cried into the fog once more as the trap set jarred itself back into his leg, his arms deflating away in anguish. He couldn't get it off, and was basically stuck here. The pain of moving his leg even slightly was too much to ignore. He collapsed to the grass, uncontrollably sobbing. Moaning faint cries of 'help' into the fog, his vision mudding into black. Many questions entered his mind, that all clashed with one another. Why me? Who placed that thing there? For what purpose? What if someone is trying too…

His ears pricked up at the noise of rushed footsteps from around a corner. He managed a glanced towards a ginger haired girl styled with pigtails. Perhaps slightly shorter than himself. Shocked concern splattered all over her face at the sight of him. Wide-eyed and horrified. Instantly rushing towards him. "Hey, hey, calm down. It's gonna be alright man," She weakly assured him with a raspy voice and a dispirited smile, immediately trying to wrench the trap away from his leg.

Multiple attempts were made, agonizing him further and further with every crank, every wail making the girl feel more guilty. The feeling of failure slowly washing over her. Irritating quickly spreading in her mind, she tried harder to push the claws apart. With a yell, she placed the traps just far enough apart for Dwight to quickly move his leg out. He scrambled, clamping at his wound, rolling into a ball, pressed against a brick wall. The girl collapsed beside him, panting out of pure exhaustion. Sweat and the fog encapsulating the pair.

"Th-t-thank yo-you…" He somehow succeeded to stammer out with sorrow and fear. And heaved with every pant, no clear thought was able to be comprehended…

He's trying to figure out why.

The fog thinned as the caws of the crows echoed through their ears. After what seemed like an eternity, the girl had recovered (remarkably quickly he noted) and rushed to his wound, flinching at the sudden movement. "Hey, hey, it's okay, it's just me." If it was an attempt to calm him, it wasn't working. His half-panicked puffing made her frown, which softened into a comforting look. "Don't worry, someone I know kinda taught me how to heal your wound."

The word 'kinda' didn't help matters. Nonetheless, she had begun… whatever she had to do to help him. She had pulled out something from his pocket that he was unable to see. Eyes locked shut from the twinges occupying his mind, screaming in torment. It seemed she was trying to hum a lullaby. Though feeling forced and rushed. His breathing tempo had slowed a little. He certainly wasn't used to this new kind of pain. The worst is when he tripped over a tree once and had a small scar on his arm from a branch. Nor had any girl… been near him, let alone touch him. A glance of disgust or apathy was as good as it got…

For a moment it got suddenly worse. She accidentally poked his wound and he yelped, trying to muffle his loud noise but failed miserably. To many rushed apologies, nervous deep breaths were returned. It showed she was new at this.

Thankfully for him, her ability remained steady. The pain was easing with every wrapping sound he could hear, his deep breaths slowly turning into sighs of relief. Able to used his eyes again, he studied the girl before her. Some sort of leaves in her hands, and some bandages? He had no idea how that worked, he was clueless with medical work. He was too nervous in CPR classes, the manikin creeped him out. She was certainly worked very fast. Perhaps too rushed. He had a chance to get a better look at her. Dirt, bruises, scratches plastered all over her, a bandages wound on her arm and around her left ankle.

A killer behind this perhaps? Almost certainly. But why?

Yet incredibly swiftly, thirty seconds it took maybe, the pain… just stopped. He blinked several times, glancing at her. Just like that? That doesn't make any…

Oh boy does it feel good.

His quivering dissolved as she finished wrapping the bandage, a grateful yet disheartened smile appearing. "T-thanks…" He felt all his worries melt away by the sight of her warm smile… and starting shaking at a notion. And quickly pushed it away. He spun his ankle a couple of times, the bandaged wound not hurting him in the slightest. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Even when he poked the part where there was still a little blood… nothing. That wasn't normal. Her healing techniques, at least from the person she knows, works wonderfully well…

Where are they really?

He quickly accepted the reached out hand and was pulled onto his feet. His ability to stand was perfectly fine, by his standards anyways. "Quickly, before the giant monster shows up!" He obliged without hesitation, noticing immediately her pace far surpasses his, bolting around corners and bewildered him as he tried to keep up. She look like she's wearing athletic gear too.

Wait giant monster?!

His frightened outburst made the girl turn around behind her. Seeing he completely stopped, she bolted towards the frozen statue. "Quick, follow!" She had grabbed his hand and dragged him away as he mumbled incoherently, running for a minute straight, past weirdly structured walls and giant wooden logs, and an oddly run-down shack of sorts. His anxiety made sure they avoided the tall grass at all times, to which she gladly accepted.

They ended up behind a suspiciously taller-than-his-size-by-half-a-yard collective of rocks, with another pallet leaning in three-thirds of its length of empty space (something which occurs too often, he noted). He groaned through the heaving, being reminded that he was never good runner in the first place. Sports were never his things. Unless you counting being an standing target in dodgeball a special talent. Two glasses broken and counting. At least it was never in the crotch. He never wanted to imagine going through that. He had arms built like spaghetti and had grown up to specialize in computers and math. Not that he hates sports… he himself just couldn't get into them. The gridiron players were so big compared to him…

Still, after running for two minutes straight, he had more stamina in him then he'd ever imagine. Too much, suspiciously. Yet he still collapsed to the ground, sitting against the rock. It had something to do with this realm. It seemed… she recovered significantly quicker than him, for the second time now. She must have trained a lot for hours to be in this amazing condition. He never thought he'd be in a situation like this. And was she talking to h-

"Hey, you there?" She clicked her fingers, snapping him out of his train of thought. He stuttered, before making something of a 'yeah' sound, rather incoherently. "A lot to take in, huh?" He nodded, taking grasp of the entire situation was going to require a lot of thinking. She sounded sympathetic as she sat down next to him, a hand on his shoulder. He didn't realise he had curled up into a ball, and was still shaking, albeit lightly. A defeated sigh. "I want to say I've had worse mornings before, but…" She trailed off with a chuckle. He twiddled his thumbs, glancing at the intimidatingly tall wall with broken iron bars at the top. Spanning around… everything…

"Y-you sa-said gi-giant monster..?" He enquired with alarm, visualizing the horror she might have gone through.

She had shifted closer to him after glancing at his expression, softly frowning, and he didn't seem to notice. "Very big. Unnerving mask with a twisted smile of metal. Large scars… Like Jason, but with large iron spikes in its shoulder and back. Moves quicker than I do…" For his sanity he tried to not make a mental picture of her descriptions, being afraid now is not a good thing, instead taking notice of the steady irritation in her voice melted into sadness. Another shudder. "Looks scary, maybe not exactly the brightest monster, but… it looks like it's skin is made of burnt stone… or something."

Push those thoughts away Dwight. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Let the fog soothe you. At… at least the monster would stand out a mile.

Change the topic. "S-so… how do y-you know ho-how to h-h-heal?"

He was given a look for a moment that he couldn't read before she perked up slightly. "Claudette. Black girl, pink shirt with glasses and braids… or well-tied together hair or someth- Point is, she knows these certain leaves that can heal people's wounds," She pulled out such leaves and bandages from her pocket, and gestured to the wound on her arm. "Pretty useful, right?"

He glanced down at his leg, wanting to smile… the image of the bear-trap came back. He flinched just looking at it. "Y-yeah, it-it is…"

"Take a few Mr. Stutter. You'll may need them later." He grabbed them gratefully. "Don't worry, it's not that hard to learn. Just squeeze the leaves on the wound and keep the bandages in place, it'll be fine." Don't worry. He wished. His look made her frown, and he cursed himself. He was never the best at hiding his emotions, or realising when he expressed them. He needed to work on that. "You… really stutter a lot man."

"J-just my na-nature…" Was the best answer he could conjure, after a pause. Being in the presence of a girl was rather low on the list of things that terrified him at this point in time. Change the topic. Now. Something to significantly much more relevant. "Have y-you seen any ex-exit of some k-kind around here?"

"Yeah, there's these large metal doors with pulleys at the very top, connected to something. Levers that you can't pull down for someone reason... We figured it had something to do with those… machines. It took forever to fix… I think fix, just one of them. The monster didn't come around until I made a… mistake," She paused, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt. Mistake? "It made the lights at the top flash when we eventually finished." An idea popping into his mind… and he shuddered "There's… more of them. Quite a lot…" She trailed off into a sigh. He joined her.

"Y-You th-think-

"We need to fix all of them just to open those doors?"

"Pr-pretty m-much…" Now he had to work on machinery… with wires that could electrocute him… Oh dear. Woodwork classes were hard enough, the thought of screwing up with a soldering gun… he had heard stories. This was different. But still... "H-have yo-you tried cl-climbing the w-walls?"

They both looked at the surrounding wall that towered over them. "Well… it's like there's an invisible forcefield that's keepin' us in. I tried…" She rubbed her arm. Ouch. Looking at the structure, it was very impressive just to have scaled it by herself…

This world was getting weirder. And this notion he had nagging in the back of his mind seemed to become more realistic by the second. A deep moan escaped his breath. Stuck in a well-produced death maze with escape possible, incredibly unlikely, but still possible...

But why?

He wondered how many more bear traps were located in this realm. They blend in too well with the grass. Also the strength able to open them, it took a Herculean effort from her just to get it a fourth of a way open… giant monster…

He wished for that moonshine right now.

"Hey, I don't remember catchin' your name."

He blinked, taken off-guard from that sudden comment. And shook a little considering what to say next. "D-Dwight… uh… Fairf-field."

A confident grin appeared. "Meghan Thomas, at your service." A small bow, and he couldn't hold back his smile at her positivity at this horrific time.

He could have lied, though he didn't see any advantages in doing so. Also, he didn't figure himself a good liar anyways. Though he hadn't tested how well she tell if he could lie or not.

Why lie to her? She'd saved his life, and seems nice, and it was more than apparent that they needed both of them to survive… a giant monster. Though, what he'd contribute… he didn't know. The thought of bait didn't sit well with him. She would have left him if that were the case. Athletics was never his thing. She was extraordinary fast for anyone of their age. Annoyingly fast. Maybe she could be a good distractor if she managed to escape the monster before… he shuddered at how.

The thought didn't sit well with him either. Someone perhaps sacrificing themselves for him… why on earth would she? And the ever-stretching wall…

They had to complete the gens fast. Before they got hurt. Before anyone else gets hurt. Before she gets hurt.

Meg had stood up by this point, glancing around the rock. "The monster didn't seem to come this way at all." She noted, as his idea of this realm wouldn't leave his mind. He instantly rushed to his feet, becoming a little dizzy in the process. That action surprised her.

"H-hurry. Let's f-finish the gen-nerators quickly." She nodded with a fierce smile, quickly turning into an irritated grimace as he grabbed her by the wrist and rushed to a generator they had passed by.

"Hey! You don't need to tell me twice." Though she didn't wrench her wrist from his light grasp and followed at his pace, occasionally glancing into the distance, while he remained looking forward, focused simply on reaching the machine.

And then stood dumbstruck in front of it, aimlessly prodding a cylinder with his finger. "Err… d-do you how t-to…"

"Yes I d-do, D-Dwight." He wasn't sure whether to chuckle from, what he hoped was, a light-hearted jab, or cower in shame from his inability to stop his speech impediment. Either way, he… followed her instructions.

Or at the very least tried. "See these wires here? You'll just have to try and- Nononono, don't do it like that, they connect like this, see?" He nodded, pretending he understood perfectly. Among all the drab and grey, the wires were all disconnected, some colour-coded, and some don't do anything and are simply distractions. Bigger problem, there are so many, you have to go around the generator to try and fix them…

Her way of 'helping' him sounded a lot like orders. And they weren't getting through to him really well. Who did she say she learnt this from again? He considered for a moment how many generators were again… around four or five? Oh dear.

What was that chime noise?

 ***BANG***

The blinding flash of the small explosion knocked him straight to the floor, planting his hands on his face, the sting sending shockwaves through his body. Immediately Meg rushed to his aid. Shocked and sympathetic, she asked if he was alright. Her reply was a long moan and a muddled apology. She helped raise him to his feet, that chilly feeling of guilt washing over him as he could sense her disappointment. "Yeah that happens…"

Oh boy, if he kept screwing up it'd be the end of both of them. It seemed to be his specialty. Including being scolded at, time and time again, for mistakes even incredibly minor always made him feel nauseous. Though… she appeared sheepish. "Sorry I forgot about that noise that happens sometimes." She helped him to his knees and right in front of the generator. "Feelin' better?"

Another moan. He held his eyes which still stung. Though it faded away rather quickly. After many blinks, he noticed any progress had been made was all for naught. The cylinders were stone again, not moving in the slightest. You lose progress for screw-ups? "Yeah it happens, but… don't worry, we'll-

Their bodies had suddenly been shocked with chills going straight down their spines. Their heartbeats picking up in tempo. But it felt different from before, unnatural. Terrifyingly unnatural. Dwight froze, alarm ringing in his ears. Meg silently and swiftly grabbed his wrist now and led him away from the area, hushing him in apprehension. "It means the monster is nearby," She whispered, her spooked face making him feel upset at the mere sight. No one but him should feel sad and scared. As he opened his mouth, she placed her hand on his mouth. "Please just stay quiet please…"

A quiet nod as his body shook more and more. He wasn't sure if it was out of the monster's presence, which was becoming increasingly noticeable and inordinate, or the distress of the possibly of sudden death devastating his mind more. The tempo of the heartbeat was intensifying. Oddly, he thought he could sense another person of their size, smaller than him slightly, running in a certain direction.

He swore he heard a faint grunt.

And the intense heartbeat, along with the sense of that person, dispersed as quickly as it showed up. They were both calm again.

He had to be dreaming, surely. The pain felt so real…

He gave her an unsteady look, she returned something similar. Though more confused. "Maybe it's impatient?"

They both, slowly, trotted to the generator. "It h-has pl-plenty of ti-time…"

She raised an eyebrow. "You callin' me slow?"

He stuttered. "N-no-n-n… no I just-

"Calm down, just jokin' man." A sigh escaped her irked breath. He wished he'd improve his social interactions over the years. Avoiding them at all costs… hadn't worked out for the best. Then again, he wasn't left with many options.

A loud feminine scream pierced the air, ringing into his ears. It sounded horrible, he shivered out of the awful sentiment stirring in his gut. "Claudette!" Meg had screamed, immediately pacing towards the source of the noise, with Dwight in tow, trying to call out to her.

No avail, he lost sight of the pigtailed girl after about two corners. He moaned and rubbed his head, and wished to be asleep again. Does she like running head-first into cannon fire? What's her plan of attack here? All these questions and so much more, he couldn't comprehend for now, rushing to where he thought Meg was running towards.

Well he was right.

A second scream attacked his ears, his body squirming from the horrid noise. And a bizarrely weird sight. A figure of a girl outlined in the distance on a meat-hook… that's what they're used for? And he wasn't sure how he could see her… and how he could sense Meg was nearby his location, to his left. Wait, why doesn't it just kill her outright? That doesn't… he couldn't finish that thought. The fog cleared as the sight before him made him freeze.

A panicked Meg was bolting with a fierce but frighted look with… dear lord. A behemoth of a man, skin of frozen lava, and metal spikes sticking out of its skin, closing in on her…

Even as they ran past, he still couldn't comprehend what he just saw. A faint whimper of help from the girl on the hook snapped him out of his thoughts, instantly running towards her. She definitely fit Meg's description.

She looked heartbroken, terrified and in devastating pain. The meat-hook spiked through her shoulder, her deflated crying towards the ground… He kept asking himself why. As soon as she spotted him, a tiny adorable smile managed to appear from the girl… which quickly turned into panicked waving. "No there's a trap there!"

He instantly stopped himself in his tracks, glancing at the dirt floor beneath him. He didn't realise that focusing on her made him run through the grass, the incredibly dangerous threat completely oblivious to him. He tip-toed around the grass, managing to see tiny parts of rusted metal, and was met with weak sobbing. "Please… help…"

"Uh…" He stood there for a moment, unsure of how to approach this. But not wanting to delay and agonize her further, he instantly reached up to her shoulders, and pulled her off the hook as quickly as possible. Awkwardly, and not very well. Her loud yelp made him shiver. As she was pulled-off, she leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and begging to quickly leave the area. He'd frozen in shock at the initial movement… it felt good.

Already in the space of ten or so minutes he'd been closer to two girls than he had in the past two years. This realm was perplexing. He also made an note that she was very light in weight, thankfully.

After running wildly with unrealistic large amounts of stamina acquired from thin air (to him at least), he'd managed carry her to an oddly small brick structure that was like a flat-shaped Z with a window in the middle, on the very edge within the largely confined space of the wall that surrounded them both. The design of this area still made no sense to him. He set her down against the brick wall.

"Thank you for saving me." She beamed frailly, the sight of her warm smile… creeped him out slightly. This wasn't normal for him.

So of course, he stuttered nervously, and glanced away into the fog. "No p-pr-roblem." He then reached for her wound to heal.

Then paused. Thought about it. Shuddered. And hesitated. And seemed to be confused her with his odd behaviour. "You know how to heal?"

"Uhh… kinda?" His lack of conviction wasn't helping. "I-I met M-Meg be-before…" And then showed the leaves and bandages. She perked up slightly.

"Oh! Here I…" She flinched from touching her wound. "…can show you."

It was safe to say she was easier to learn from than Meg. She was shockingly calm through her light whimpers explaining how the healing process worked. Somehow she knew conveniently. He needed to know later. Actually touching any part of her felt so wrong to him. His embarrassment was washed away by the sight of the wound… repairing like it was never harmed. Like his wound, there was still some blood on the bandage… but it was just as good as new.

"Thank you for saving me." Her face of relieved solace quickly turned into anxious worry, her body starting to shake. He put a hand on her shoulder as she got closer to him, becoming more calm in the process, unnerving Dwight even more.

"N-no pr-problem…" He stared at the wall, unsure of how to proceed… He began worrying about Meg's wellbeing. How, intentional or not, ended up being a distraction, sacrificing herself (against his wishes). Literally rushing to 'save' Claudette without thinking it through. Running into the fray. The style suited her personality… as stupid as he considered it. Then again, was probably better than freezing entirely and being unable to make any decision…

He needed to work on that too.

The long silence ended with a deflated sigh from the girl. "So… what now?"

We hope this is a dream, and don't die. Though that might not be the best of words to use. "We… tr-try a-and live?"

Always the clever one. "Well, that would be nice." She managed a chuckle, and he wasn't sure if it was forced.

Firstly… he had to ask. "H-how do y-you kn-know how t-to h-he-heal?"

She perked up again. Talking about her healing powers takes her complete interest? "Well, I'm a Botanist, and love how plants work. As a 'Just in case' method, I experimented with herbs that could heal your wounds." A rather big smile for the distressful situation. "Botany knowledge could save your life someday. It probably has already. Pretty neat right?"

"V-very…" How convenient Claudette's presence was in this realm to teach them how to 'heal', how this realm completely trapped them and the design of the structures, how he's suddenly teleported here over a however-long slumber with two- actually three, other people against one giant monster…

He might have died overnight. He considered the possibility. There was that loud howl of the wolves from the forest during random times. This dream was too real to be just a nightmare. He couldn't ever foresee a girl, let alone two, ever talk to him so… kindly. His level of imagination was limited… Some cruel prank being played on him? No it was too elaborate. Abducted by a space monster of some kind? Too unrealistic, as unrealistic as it can possibly be right now, perhaps…

Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. Not the mindset to have right now. He pushed these thoughts away. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. What mattered was getting out of here. Which… may take a while. And they may not have enough time…

Becoming increasingly worried by his blank stare into oblivion, Claudette had tugged his shirt several times. "You okay there? Hey. Hey!" She tried speaking as loud as she could without yelling, which snapped him out of his thoughts. Making several 'huh' and 'wah' sounds. And a muddled apology. "Earth to… what is your name, by the way?"

"D-Dwight Fair… field… yo-you're Claude-dett-te, ri-right?"

"Last name Morel." She blinked. "You met Meg?"

"Ye-yeah…" He begun walking in front of her, motioning her to follow while looking out into the fog, finding no glimpse of the monster, Meg or anyone else. Other than random crows spread out all over thinly. And a weirdly out-of-place hill. And a generator… placed right out in the open…

Maybe the better choice is to go to another generator. But time was of the essence. It was also surrounded by grass and a… the sheer size of the tree, especially the patterns of the branches, was quite intimidating. He made a promise to never look up. "She… s-saved me-me…" Thankfully.

"You got caught in the bear trap?" He took his turn to blink. How did she…? "I heard the loud snap, followed by a scream. It must have been very painful." He didn't like that sorrowful sympathetic look she was giving. It made him feel bad.

"I'm… f-fine." He gave his best grin that felt awfully implemented, while tapping his ankle wound with his other foot. And flinched slightly at the action. At her perhaps overly-concerned look, he put up his hands. "I'm fine I'm fine… Meg-g he-healed i-it..."

She initially frowned for a moment, for what reason he wasn't sure, before forming a calmful smile. What he did know that he was clueless at trying to 'fix' this mechanical contraption. He considered kicking it for a second, but shook off that stupid notion. Claudette had already started repairing it, and look surprisingly comfortable doing so. She caught his gaze, and paused sheepishly. "Oh sorry! You need help with this?"

"P-pleas-se…" He had to hand it to her. She was really good at explaining instructions. And a rather fast learner herself, if she is just as knew as he was. She had to be. Just the look on her face when she got hooked… He shuddered, and pushed that away quick. The wires had to go in certain parts depending on their colour… it didn't entirely wrap around his head. But it was a good start. Before he knew it, his hands had gotten dirtier as time went on. And wasn't very fond of it, but was used to it now. His job… involved getting his hands more filthier…

He didn't want to think about that. He also wished to meet this Jake character that she had informed him of, teaching her the ways of the machine. He was reminded of how much he hated woodwork classes. But… this wasn't too bad. He hadn't screwed up, yet, and the odd chime noise hadn't appeared once. Which to her was more common. Very, very odd. The sounds of the cylinders pumping intensely was rather soothing to the ears.

What wasn't soothing was the loud ding noise and a 'swoosh' that combined at the same time, alongside the image of a glowing gold generator, popping up from a certain direction. He froze from his job, stunned at the sight. And accepted how nothing in this world made sense. This, however, raised Claudette's happiness. "Jake finished that gen! We should be getting closer no-

Chime.

He took a deep breath. That wasn't on his side. He was surprised by her focus there. The girls seemed to be very focused…

Was Meg still being chased? She hadn't gone down yet. She's still out there! Was she safe? He had to know. Not being in the know tormented him.

Claudette had to snap him out of his daze again. Trying to shake him back and forth only affected his shoulder. "You did that again. You froze and stared into the distance. Are you okay?"

He glanced away into the fog. "I th-thought a-about Meg's s-saf-fety…"

She blinked, before a defeated sigh escaped her grasp. And then a pause. "Don't worry. We can find her after we…" The generator in front of them sprung to full life, logic still amiss to him, the lights above them glowed into existence. Progress was being made. "Voila!"

He couldn't help but smile, even if it was rather small, at her aura of… positivity. It was certainly a new feeling. A lovely one. And he liked it.

Why can't he form friendships like this often? He remembered why. And the smile faded quickly.

It was rather hard not to spot. "Are you okay?" She asked again, to a blink. And then, a few seconds of silence. Nothing but the sound of the gen pumping to keep them company. He looked away again.

"L-Let's find M-Meg no-now!" And rushed off into the distance, where he assumed she might have been. He didn't notice the saddened look from her, as she followed, reluctantly not enquiring any further, gratefully. Talk about problems later. Well, never really. Survive now.

The run didn't last long. Not even ten metres away from the finished generator, the monster appeared from the fog. It's grand size towering above them both, even while it stands maybe forty, fifty metres away from them. Neither of them could move, Dwight awe-struck with admiration and absolute terror from the sheer sight.

It moved, footsteps the length of a queen-sized bed, moving faster than he could ever imagine. Dwight couldn't move. His heartbeat rung through his ears. His muscles tightened. So enraptured by trepidation that he didn't notice the panicked girl beside him tugging at his sleeve. It stared through his soul.

What he didn't expect next was the monster seemingly ignoring his presence, and paced towards Claudette, who had already begun running. He quickly looked back and forth, unsure why it didn't care for him (very, very slightly thankful it wasn't). But he couldn't let that happen. Not on his watch.

Though he had to pause, reflecting on what he was about to do.

She deserved life more than him.

He dived at its knees, hoping to slow him down. Not expecting this sacrificial move, it stumbled with a loud annoyed groan, for a second only. Dwight felt like he bounced off him, and laid back-first onto the grass. Rubbing his head, moaning while only being a few feet away from the… sheer size of the behemoth before him.

Who didn't seem very happy. But with a shrug, it swiped at Dwight's ribcage. Not rolling very swiftly out of the way, he took the full-force, and screamed in anguish, almost breaking his voice box. The crows who watched on flew away from the howl that pierced the sky. The second slash to his stomach dissolved all of his energy, as he wailed into the void. His overwhelming cries turned to hyperventilating whimpers. His body shook uncontrollably as he sobbed into the dirt, the giant monster with his red-gazing light staring down at him. Blood spilt everywhere onto the ground.

The monster laughed. A deep and dark voice bellowing through Dwight's traumatised head, before picked him up by the neck and onto his shoulders. Everything turned into a muddled blur, despair filled his slumped body, reality warped as he was in and out of consciousness. His battered glasses had almost fallen off his dismal face.

A second atmosphere-shattering cry emerged, impaled through his back and abdomen. Held up by a greasy meat hook, his soul melted away. It's hefty laugh made him sob more, the disfigured hockey mask punctured through his eyes disturbed him greatly. Looking away immediately, Dwight struggled not to pass out through his desperate wails. The monster instantly strolled into the distance, as the thumping heartbeat faded once more.

Physical pain was significantly worse than he ever imagined. He couldn't think up any questions to ask, his mind racing too quick for him to keep him. Devastated, he begged for this to stop. Everything. Just make the pain go away.

The hope was someone would save him, like he did to Claudette, who… had her body shaped of a yellow aura now. He could see Meg, and presumably Jake too. All in the distance, hiding behind something or other. Fascinating.

He didn't notice the spider-like legs steadily materialize around him. And that they became very real very rapidly. One aimed straight for his heart, but he managed to grip the black sharp leg trying to murder him. Why was it all designed like this?!

After what seemed like hours, the monster returned and stood many metres in front of him, watching. It's blank sadistic mask keeping him company. His elbow ached intensely. His pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. It just seemed to laugh more and more. The other three could only watch on hopelessly, knowing they would meet the same fate if they tried to save him. He didn't want to imagine how badly they felt.

His arms finally gave out. And what remained in his mind was the shocked and regretful looks upon the two girls as tears fell from their eyes, his mind faded into the abyss.


	2. Chapter 2: Now That We're Dead

Life of Dwight – Chapter 2: Now That We're Dead

Silence engulfed the flames of his horror.

Dwight was still unable to believe anything that had happen, and anything that is currently happening. Shocked emotions muddling his wounded brain. The aching intensified whenever he dared tried to think clearly. He's lucky he had his glasses along with him…

Dwight really didn't know what to feel anymore. If he even wanted to feel. Curled up in a ball, his empty stare fixed into the fiery abyss. A makeshift campfire already here, along with a rather long and broken off tree trunk laid along the ground, for which he sat upon.

He was cold. So cold. The heat in front of him couldn't soothe his wounds. Death was horrible. Being spiked so many times from so many different directions, helpless to stop it at all.

So very painful.

But, for now, the terror had stopped. The world had shifted into something warmer. Rugged constructions, letter-shaped brick walls with body-sized windows, pallets and bear traps… gone with the wind. Placed only with a well-constructed small campfire, long and rather big tree branches that the four are able to sit upon. A river with long grass… but no smell of a swamp. The menacing trees that flooded the sky, taller perhaps than most buildings in the city he… used to reside in.

He had an idea of why, and his head burned just thinking about it.

His constant quaking was dissipating over time, yet had almost made his glasses fall off several times. The fact that he was alive again. In a different location again. He stopped caring about making sense of this hell. All that mattered was the pain wouldn't stop… again.

The fog wasn't that present, near him at least, only in the distance. Away from the rather well-constructed campfire placed before him. He'd awoken on the ground in an icy sweat. And couldn't sleep again. Alarmed hyperventilating had been common through his time awake. It was hard taking comfort on a wooden log.

There was no killer in sight. Nor any other figure at all. Just him, the fire, the swampy long grass and the trees towering above him to keep him company. The quiet roar of the flames helped settle his tense fear…

Kinda…

…well not really.

But hey, it could certainly be worse…

He didn't want to elaborate on that line of thinking.

So what now?

He didn't like the thought of wandering aimlessly. The endless white void either side of the dense forest surrounding him didn't look very safe. After all, he was placed here for a reason…

Well may as well think. Even if it hurt. Can't be as bad as before.

He wasn't enthusiastic on trying to grasp the rules of this realm. Nothing made logical sense. He mind was so conflicted to arrive at a solution that it felt like his brain cells were melting, just considering the confines of this world, if you can even call it that, was enough to overwhelm him. Still… it didn't hurt too much. He attempted to rest, and push this odd and terrifying world out of his mind… and just try to relax.

There were mixed results. He couldn't stop thinking, now his head had turned gears. He always had to be numerous steps ahead of everyone. It was only then did he feel safe… safer. The unknown was too terrifying. Someone trying to control him was worse. It was always how he avoided problems. Thinking ahead. Planning. It would led him to a better day, and limited, if not nullified, physical and emotion pain that consumes him every day. Failing to think would lead to many, many issues.

It didn't work all the time. However it made his harsh life much more fulfilling. He had to keep up, or he'll fall behind into the abyss.

Which leads to a rather huge problem that exists. Here… it felt like this realm controls his life. And he couldn't do anything about it. Pulling the strings of… everything. Suddenly shifted into two different areas, one certainly after death… the first time he could only speculate. It was the only explanation he could conclude. Purgatory of some kind. Not heaven, assuredly. Hell… though it's very weird.

He was in a oddly-design death trap that he was able to, even if the chance was slim to none, survive. The monster… he had to pause and compose himself, pushing that 'mask' far out of his vision. The monster could have killed him and the other three rather easily if not for the structures placed that allowed him to… well, hide. Ideally Meg wouldn't have a chance to even slightly move the bear trap from gashing into his leg, which still felt fine as it normally would.

Why give them false hope?

Maybe… it's just to give the giant killer a challenge… having to work hard to capture it's prey. Which didn't sit well for him. At the notion of… a mutated human turned into a beast, if it even was a human at one point, finding joy at murdering another… He couldn't ever related to that. That's what he figured people that treated him poorly got a kick out of. Happiness from others misery. Although… they never went to the point of a beating to a pulp…

…or death. There were threats rarely in his life, the ones he's heard mainly weren't aimed at him. And he didn't think it was sincere. Jokingly. Between friends. He couldn't quite relate.

The emerging loneliness was becoming more apparent with every passing second.

He wished the other three well. Even if he knew them barely, for such a short amount of time, in rather terrifying circumstances. And he only had met two. They seemed nice…

The notion of running straight first towards where the monster is just to save someone seemed like an awful decision. And that was an idea foreign to him from outer space. Especially considering the circumstance in hindsight… Did she mention if she had been chased before? It did show Meg cared a lot. For someone she had only just met. Then again, he felt the same way… sacrifice and all. Her athleticism far surpassed his by states. She could run circles around him for days. It's useful to have pace. He would only be able to run half the length of a football field before having to kneel over exhausted. Yet stamina in this realm feels… infinite. Strangely, tying into his theory. But still, he didn't like her risking her life to distract the monster. Everyone but himself, that is.

Claudette was too kind for this place. Not suited for sport, assuming just how smaller she was compared to him. And he was tall and lanky. Though anyone can bring surprises… and she was essentially a medic. A rather suspiciously suitable person to be here. Thankful nonetheless… Although how healing works too well still mystified him. This realm isn't known for its logic.

Also the third person… Jake was it? He taught Claudette how to work the generators… somehow. At least we have a mechanic. Again, conveniently. He still didn't understand how the wires worked, or the chime-ex-machina that terrified him. Or the bright light circular… thing that popped-up in the distance, or being able to sense people's positions from metres away, or being able to see someone's aura when they're on a-

He shook his head with a groan. Try and stay focused, Dwight. Hopefully Jake is a nice person, and certainly much more useful than you…

…what was he good at? Getting himself killed? Thinking about why they were here? Paying attention? He got his foot stuck in a deadly trap. Almost twice. A deep sigh entered the atmosphere. And sadness began to set in. Don't think about. Deep breaths. You have a purpose, surely. If there's a medic, mechanic, and… athlete, you must be sensational at something…

Failing, came to mind first. Then sacrificing himself, secondly. Another sigh. Maybe leadership, though he had never led anyone before… or anyone let him lead them at all. He wasn't used to being listened to. And he primarily speaks to his own mind and barely spoke a whisper. And being good at teamwork didn't count, especially when he could never get along with more than three people at once in his life. He had heard of a theory before. About how if you have a problem with everyone you meet, then maybe the problem is you. Or something like that. Which is heartbreaking. If everyone is a bad person to you, when you don't deserve it. What, for being nervous and shy? It's not his fault everyone else was a-

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Don't keep moping to yourself in the middle of nowhere. He tracked his mind back to the other three souls stuck in the same fate as him… He wondered if they died, or even managed to survive and escape against that monster… somehow.

Would they end up elsewhere in the fog? Would they still come here?

Sometimes it was better not thinking about it. His theory is slowly becoming confirmed, even if it is still just an assumption. A well-considered assumption. But still… he'll probably be along here for a while… in this realm, this thing, trying to kill them, presumably over and over.

Had he died? He didn't know. He missed the taste of that moonshine. So very sweet, too bad his system couldn't cope with it. And he passed out. He wasn't that weak… Alcohol was never his thing, burning out your liver. He wasn't missing out on anything. Though he had heard and seen people use it as a coping mechanism for pain. He thought that was sadly horrifying. Crying out his tears in his bed was much more safer…

Maybe they didn't care anymore. Or were that desperate. Either way… he curled into a ball, burrowing his eyes into his forearms, glassing sliding to his forehead. How to deal with all of this… He could only speculate on what's going on, and what could go on in the future. Maybe death is meaningless, four of them potentially dying over and over again but will always find a way to live…

For what?

Who knows for sure… and suddenly his ears pricked up at a very odd whoosh noise that just occurred-

Claudette?

His surprised blinks were met by terrified quaking. She looked around warily and spotted the boy in silence, his mind frozen up for a moment, trying to comprehend what's happening, and how she got here… before realising how. Two pairs of stunned eyes stared at each other for what seemed like forever, before, to his further shock, she instantly wrapped her arms around her chest, sobbing with joy. "You're okay you're okay you're okay you're okay!"

All of his nerves, concerns, fears, dread, horrible memories and terrifying implications of this place, in an instant, and only for a moment, vanished completely. She hugged him again. The warm embrace... He wasn't used to this, it felt very odd… but yet, he couldn't help but smile while she did it. It was amazing. And he had already embraced her to without realising it. Maybe not everything in this realm was bad…

Yet that only left him wondering what that was.

The cluster of seconds felt like years, that sadly ended when Claudette had pulled back after some time, and then let out a deep sigh, her smile dropping. The fear coursing back into her eyes, behind her damaged but stable glasses. She seemed to curl up in a ball, and Dwight instinctively sat much closer to her. He didn't like the shudder she made. "So you've… just been sitting here?"

"P-pretty much…" Now he had to sigh again. Before hesitating. "Ho-how… are the o-others f-fa-fairing?"

She returned a sad look. "Meg has been running around like crazy… I'm surprised she hasn't fallen over exhausted yet… I couldn't last longer than two minutes… Jake…" Was she about to break down in tears? Shaking intensified, her breaths were coming in and out quicker, head dropping towards the ground. Now he had to try and soothe her.

Oh dear.

He… 'attempted' to wrap his arms around her, very awkwardly, and was whispering, "Hey, hey, hey," over and over again. Somehow, it seemed to be working. Her hyperventilating had calmed as she leaned in towards him.

"He… had tried to s-save me… and as I was getting… y'know, spiked… the… thing was dragging him away and… I don't…"

A second whoosh noise? Oh… A horrid moan had emerged to their left, and Claudette jumped up. "Jake!" And rushed to his 'aid', tacking him to the ground in the process. He was trembling too, but mollified just by glancing at the dreadlock girl clinging onto him. And smiling. At least people are bonding, which will certainly be a good thing, if they wanted to survive…

Somehow. He'd think on that later.

He reached out a hand to help him off the dirt floor. At least making friends in this realm is much easier due to… circumstances… even if it is only the circumstance he can- He needs to forget that for now. "D-Dwight Fairf-field…"

He wasn't sure if he hesitated, but he was shaking heavily, and looked wary. But blinked several times after getting a better look at his face. "Jake Park." A managed a small smile, too. It was rather… noticeable how clingy Claudette was, though she hugged him instantly too… she cared. That hadn't met that long either…

Now he had a chance to get a look at the man. Very dishevelled. Wearing waterproof gear, especially the pants, and a stuffy green jacket. What became more noticeable was the scars the pair had, wincing at the sight. He had to look down at himself, his shirt had the monster's slashes and the meat hook spike. The wound was still ever present. He could feel the sharp steel slashing into his skin before, shivers being sent down his spine… it was horrible. But now, in safety… yes safety, it didn't hurt. Not really. His ankle scar was still present as well. Wrapped up by her…

Hopefully she was faring much better than they did. He knew she was very… determined, but surely she couldn't run forever. Nor out run the monster. But escaped its grasp several times she has accomplished. Judging from her small meeting with her and Claudette's statement.

Could she have survived? Though that depends… Part of him regretted ruining any good moment occurring here, if you could call it that, hell, it's it happening at all… still, a big part of him needed to know... He gave a subdued look into space… what could happen, the same fate that befell these three could happen to her… though she seems tough enough to push beyond the initial trauma… the notion of her... he pushed those thoughts as hard as he could out of his mind. Not the time. This may be the only chance to keep the friends you may make here, don't screw it up now. Stay composed… stay… composed…

He sighed. No matter what happens to her, surely she'll end up in the same place as them… right? Are there more than two realms in… this realm? Well he could only speculate… and his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Do y-you… know w-what hap-pened to M-Meg?"

Jake had to look away, a certain grave agony plastered on his face, and regret stabbing into Dwight's body. Well points for trying he supposed. "I'm not sure…" His voice was almost too quiet to hear, but the pain was ever present. "We managed to complete all the gens by the time…" He motioned slightly to the girl on his right, who's frowned deepened. "I saw her hiding behind something when I got… stabbed…" The word was spoken to a whisper, horror mixed with confusion. "Then everything just… felt…"

He began to then stutter incoherent words, and rambled into silence. Before Claudette spoke up, just as deflated. "Painless."

"L-like you couldn't f-feel an-anyth-hing at all... but your s-sou-ul… fading int-to n-no-nothing… and you're l-left very co-cold…" They both nodded lightly in agreement, the hushed dread looming over them as the ability to speak dwindled out to the fog.

Silence reigned. Everyone just… slumped. The realisation of the situation finally dawning on them. Everything happened so quickly all at once, after all. Yet he mind thought quicker than most others. And he had time to consider things as well. Maybe the hug still affected him because he didn't feel… that bad. Their own theory crafting on why they were here, any realisations they had, they kept to themselves. For now at least. He would share his thoughts… stuttering and nervously, but not now. Not until Meg…

His eyes drifted to the sky. Bad thoughts came back again. Whatever's happening, it sure is taking a long time for her to get here, survive or not. She'll find a way, All they were left with was the fire sizzling against the wood as it burned for an eternity. She'll be fine.

She'll be fine.

She'll… be fine…

He couldn't see through the fog. The endless white void. The mystery too thick and encompassing the distance entirely. Or rather, everything but the small campfire area. What could be out there? Beyond the exit gate would lead to here, perhaps. Then.. where does the other side go? It probably wouldn't matter anyways. They'd probably end up here… maybe…

…

…whoosh.

"Meg!" Dwight rushed to her lying on the dirt floor in agony without a second thought, as fast as a speeding bullet. Everything else in the world faded out of his existence. The debilitated ginger-haired athlete was shaking profusely, sweat pouring down her skin, clutching at her stomach, just coming to grasp with her new reality. He was by her side, and Claudette had rushed to help her new friend too.

Their eyes met again. Confused blinking ensued, before realising it was him. At least, that's what he assumed. Even with misery plastered on her face, a delicate and… perhaps cocky smile emerged beyond the pain. "Hey…" She weakly spoke, being helped up to her feet. Before he knew it, she embraced him. "You're okay…"

That warm fuzzy feeling flooded into his body again. It felt wonderful. It must have been years since he has last experienced something even slightly close. Three hugs in the time space of a day. Potentially three new friends that 'trust' each other, at least need to. Even this nightmare had its own miracles. More so than the normal miserable and lonely life he trudged through on a daily basis. It only took him to die, maybe twice, to accomplish just a simple task that his depression and shyness would have never allowed. A hug from an attractive girl. He even got this down with two different people, completely by happenstance.

Nothing good can last forever, he wished it could.

He glanced to the other two remaining silent, smiling even through great pain. Meg released her arms after some time, pulling back with sadness. "I'm… I'm so sorry I couldn't save you…" And looking away in shame.

His hands remained on her shoulders. And shrugged. "It's… o-okay… you c-couldn't d-do much ag-gainst… t-that…"

She didn't look convinced. "I still could have tried to grab his attention… But I… I got scared… And he just stood there… that asshole just stood there!" Uh oh, he noticed her blood began to boil. And tears escaped her angered face.

Claudette's frown deepened at her face, and attempted to comfort her. "There's nothing you could have done…"

"Yeah, you tried your best. Your ability to evade the killer was amazing." Jake's praise caused a tiny grin to form on her face.

"A-And… w-were all h-h-her-re now… W-Were safe no-ow…" His warm smile made one form on hers now. His statement of stutters was followed by Meg glancing around at their new surroundings. The looming uncertainly slowly creeping up on everyone of them. And, as they all retired to the giant wooden branch, the newly found warmth of friendship faded with the realisation of being stuck in this… thing, this place, this realm, this dominion of mysterious horror.

At least their safe for now. Though now he had to consider, why they were placed here after death, and not a sleep that you never awake from. He hated how this realm asked more questions with every passing second.

Well, he assumed this area was downtime in-between… trying to escape the monster. I mean, three of them died and are now physically fine… physically. Maybe the campfire was to portray the sense of warmth and togetherness… well the last one certainly didn't. And he got drunk and passed out. At least there was the idea of happiness…

But for the botanist, she insisted on checking on Meg's wounds. "I'm fine Claudy, I really am…" She groaned, not annoyed at all nonetheless, seemingly content with someone caring for her. The need to speak up felt oddly out of place for Dwight, but it wouldn't hurt to let them know.

"W-Wounds I th-think heal h-here… but the s-scars st-tay…" The girl of dreadlocks seemed to nod in agreement, although very perplexed.

"It's… all very odd. But, I still want to make sure…"

"Hey, hey, I know you care and all, but it's… fine now. The… the monster and its wounds… are gone now. See?" Instantly healed like his was. I mean three of them were brought back from the dead. And all the energy that once been sapped from her emerged right back as if nothing had occurred. Through the sarcasm he could tell was well-spirited. He was well attributed to spotting venom whenever someone speaks… and she didn't seem like a bad person.

Claudette didn't seem too sure. "I just wanna make sure you're okay…"

"I am okay… largely thanks to you. Saved my ass more than enough. I'm forever grateful for your healing powers."

Dwight couldn't help himself. "Of c-course, we w-would-dn't ha-have surv-vived as l-long w-without y-yo-you…"

"It's a wonderfully useful ability to have." Even Jake joined in on the compliments. And she took those words well, her face bright red, blushing as she glanced away. Nervous uncontrollable giggling as she tried to speak but find herself unable to. It was rather adorable. Then Meg turned to him.

"I see your sp-speaking patterns haven't ch-changed, Mr. Stutter." He wasn't sure how to respond to that. She was just joking… I mean she's now chucking after the pause and the confused expression he didn't realise he was making. Light-hearted jabs, Dwight. They won't hurt you.

He simply shrugged.

"That is a bad stutter man…" Jake pointed out, looking concerned, though he looked really calm and it was a bit difficult to tell. It'd was nice to think he cared. Why exactly wouldn't he, Dwight?

"I'm j-just a ne-nerv-vous per-rson…" Whose head slumped towards the dirt floor, unable to make eye-contact with anyone. He didn't think they believed that, judging from the frowns he had received from a quick glance around. Well he wasn't lying… he just didn't want to elaborate on his response. Hopefully they'd just let the subject drop. And they did, though perhaps not necessarily accepting that answer. Thankfully…

The horrific tranquillity held an iron grasp around them. No words were spoken for a while as they all stared into the endless burning void of the campfire. Perhaps the realisation that they're stuck in this realm, and having to deal with the monster, finally dawning on them. The idea of death and how cold it felt… the fog begun to sink it's claws into the sitting area. The soft rustling of the leaves echoed by the breeze that began to pick up. He could notice they glanced around at the small area that entrapped them to this fate for now… that happened to be their only place of solace and comfort. He hated the irony. But also welcome it somewhat. At least it was better than constant torment, which would be the case if the monster would kill them more efficiently if it was going to do it over and over.

There was a possibility of why this was, yet he couldn't quite grasp it. But at least he could guess… perhaps later.

Dwight wasn't sure what to feel now. Grateful, an opportunity to have real friends that actually trust him dearly felt like a miracle within this nightmare. Horrified, at many notions yes, primarily at the looming prospect of failing so badly at this new challenge, through many various ways, that could sever any bond that could have been made. Leaving any progress he might make, as long as it may be, completely pointless. Or maybe that was his depression screaming at him, stuck in the back of his mind, to fall back in line with his daily misery. He pushed it away for now. He's had friends before, of course… a very long time ago. Sure, Ian was nice, but he wasn't that… reliable. Only conversing with him during his job only. And some of his 'jokes' weren't exactly in the best of tastes. It was better than nothing, but it really wasn't much.

Why him, of all people in the world, in this dire of a circumstance, was he given this chance? What made him so special? Probably no reason whatsoever.

Nothing made him special.

He had to go back to his minor analysis from before. Meg was an athlete who is good at avoiding capture while being chased. Claudette was a botanist who was good at physically healing people of their wounds. Jake was… well he doesn't know anything about him really, other than the important note of him possibly being a mechanic of sorts, knowing how to fix those generators was vital to their survival.

There was no award given to someone who fails habitually. Maybe it's depression and a lack of confidence. At least he's self-aware about it.

Whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now. This chance at friendship is perhaps more important than initially thought. Teamwork can help them survive through… dealing with the monster. I mean Meg herself managed to do it… somehow. He'll have to ask later. If they died, maybe they are just planted here again just to start over, though the experience is certainly not pleasant and not something anyone should go through… I mean, no one should feel like they want to die. For any reason. But… he had a thought… what if they died too many times?

Gone forever.

It's possible. This place isn't quite known for mercy as it is. He had to think back to his assumptions on the state of this realm, and having multiple realms within realms, and how they and the monster are all here for… he could only assume it's some sort of god simply bored and wants entertainment, and is playing around with them like toys.

Why was he chosen, along with them? What made us special?

He didn't know. He's not sure if he could ever know. It's feasible it could be picked out by random selection, lucky timing from dying at a certain point. Maybe others died too and ended up here as well… but they aren't here now. They… could be gone already. Who knows how long this could be going on for.

If he did indeed die, from a wolf after getting knocked out for drinking moonshine for the first time in his life. He wouldn't be here. It would all just be black. The longest sleep that would never end. And the last thing he could have seen was a monster with spikes and a twisted face that may haunt his nightmare. It towered over him like a skyscraper, and could crush all of them like a bug…

He rubbed his forehead, burning as if he had a fever. The gears in his head breaking down trying to believe these ideas could be true… and that they're even here. A deep sigh entered the void. So, if anything, what could he do about this? To get them all out of here? Surviving enough times seems… so incredibly improbable of a task to accomplish, they might not even bother. But still possible, if she could do it. Maybe, this god would make it more difficult for them, and throw in more tasks…

He had to hope they could get out. Anything could be possible at this point. I mean, he has a very good chance of making friends, dammit! If anyone gives up, they could be gone for good.

He glanced around at the campfire, the sullen expressions plastered of everyone's faces, some more terrified than others. Claudette was still shaking sadly, even if it was as bad as it was before. Almost but not quite clinging to Jake's arm must be helping. He seemed much calmer than the dreadlocked girl, though looking just as sad. At least they already seemed to trust each other dearly. That's nice to see.

He turned to his left, observing how Meg stared sorrowful yet fiercely into the fire, not seeming fazed in the slightest. But even then, the pain written on her face is clear as… night. He was unable to turn his gaze away from her… remarkably stunning face…

Her sudden turn of her head made him freeze. How long had he been staring. He… he shouldn't do that again. And why… why on earth was he staring for so long? The sight of her blue eyes muddled his thought process, the pain was clear as day. Both of their lives just taken away like that. He couldn't have that. He managed to form a smile, the first decision that flooded his mind. Maybe she'll… she ended up returning it too.

For some reason the sight of her positivity made him feel better. There's that fuzziness again… that's very weird. And uncomfortably settling. He had to look away, hoping it wasn't a blush, not that he wouldn't blush… not that he had any reason to…

If they had any chance of getting out… He had to be the leader, didn't he?

That had to be the closest logical explanation of his present in this realm, even if this realm has its own logic, working drastically different from normal life. But still, Meg is the only other person suited to this, from body language alone. The four needed a direction to follow, not just run aimlessly and hope for the best. That only leads to failure. And… thinking a lot to himself may finally pay off. He made it his speciality to avoid danger within his life whenever possible.

It's just… what direction does he lead them in? He didn't want to replicate the charge of the light brigade. No, forget the bad ideas of what could happen Dwight. If you don't try, you'll guarantee failure anyways. You don't want to die for good right? You don't want your… potential friends to meet the same fate…

The only hope he had was to try his best. Now or never. But for what?

There... what was there to go back to, a dead-end job in the middle of a big forest? The limited amount of interactions was nice, even if the looming wildlife was considerably not pleasant… hell, it may have even gotten him in the end anyways. There weren't any rock solid friendships, Ian was always iffy from the start. His parents… he had been distancing himself from them for a while now. They hadn't made contact for... a while. Push that to the side. Well… there's not much. However, not wanting to die over and over in this hell is a good enough… reason…

Maybe his compatriots of the campfire is it. They have lives that mean so much more that he could ever imagine his would ever be. Perhaps… don't do it for himself, but for others. They have futures, right? Meg is an athlete almost certainly, Claudette described herself as a botanist… though he didn't quite grasp how that field of science exactly works, other than something to do with plants that can conveniently heal you, it's still a profession. He'll ask Jake about his eventually, something with mechanical work surely.

Not for him, but for them. The only friends you may have in years…

He had a chance.

He had to try.

There wasn't that much to lose. And he didn't want to consider what he had already lost.

Where to start.

He needed to know more about them. He got the basics down, sure, but knowing more about their personalities may certainly help their survival... if he wasn't so nervous and lacked social skills more than he lacked physicality. Observation could only give him so much knowledge. Social conversing was different. And he wasn't very particularly good at it. Focusing on being invisible whenever possible from others did that.

They fit certain social moulds he could piece together. He could tell just by the people that were all around him in his life that would often neglect him, or wouldn't sometimes for often bad reasons. In the face of danger the two girls he had encountered were nice and clearly wanted to work with him to survive. Meg didn't have to save him. Claudette didn't have to teach others how to heal. Jake didn't have to teach others how to fix generators. Maybe they are actually nice people who want to care for each other.

They are trying to survive against an unstoppable supernatural maniacal monster, after all. Disasters can bring people together.

He casted a thought back to… before his demise. The haunting mask smothered deep into his nightmares, the sadden and perhaps heartbroken faces that helplessly watched on as he passed on… in a weird yellow aura. They cared, even if he had only met the two girls an incredibly short amount of time. They cared. He even got a hug for Christ's sake!

They all did need each other as a key to their survival. Meg did manage to survive against it… this time. She may not be able to again. The monster didn't leave after coming back for him to be given a chance to be saved. It knows no mercy. It won't be happy Meg got away.

A lot can change in twenty minutes.

He didn't exactly trust himself to lead. Walking into a bear-trap mindlessly, almost twice, didn't make him more faithful of his ability. But they couldn't sit by and mope. Where has that ever lead him? To more misery. No one had uttered a word for ages at this point… no way of telling time (if there was any) was annoying… other than it was night. The moon was absent in the campfire area. Beyond the branches high in the sky… no circle of light in any form.

Before all of this very few people would have even considered for a second what he said. It wasn't in any devastating situation for them. But now… well they couldn't sit in a pit of frightened silence forever.

…So, awkward morale-lifting speech then?

"H-Hey guys…" Hesitation first occurred when he was met with their sullen faces, the three pairs of eyes glancing towards him made him reconsider. Managing to talk to a group was incredibly difficult for him, even if it's only three people. How could this be more intimidating than-

Get a hold of yourself Dwight! They won't hurt you, dammit. Before his mind caught up with his body, he found himself standing up beside the campfire, facing the three who were looking up towards him, desperate for some hope right now. Near barrenness filled their eyes while irresolution regulated his limbs. Maybe this wasn't the right decision, it was rushed and not well thought out… but it felt right.

…What the hell does he say now… Deep breath. In and out.

"Now… I know t-this s-s-situation is a b-bit di-dire…" An awkward toothy grin emerged on his face. At least the girls seemed somewhat amused. "But… if we are st-stuck here t-to-together against-t… that, a-at least w-w-we have each ot-ther. And… who knows, maybe we'll have to do this over and over again. Now, I'm n-not go-going to make t-this place roll over and d-d-die. And maybe… if we su-surv-vive enough ti-times… we can escape f-for good. We have to work as a t-team, I need you to survive so that I can survive! B-Because w-we can't face all of... t-t-that by yourself… I know I can't…"

He scratched the back of his head, not wanting to look at their faces. He couldn't help but peaked, and it was very noticeable how their spirits were raised. If only moderately. Enough for Claudette to raise her head higher than she has so far. "Yeah, we all do need each other, I mean… I'm pretty good at healing." Even if speaking bashfully, she couldn't help but blush at her words. "You… You need a medic after all."

"And we… well I need more lessons." The other boy grumbled to himself, if only rather quietly. Before clearing his voice and turning his head back to the group. "I… think I've got fixing the generators down packed."

"How did you figure it out so fast?" Meg had to inquire, tilting her head, leaving Jake scratching his scruffy hair. "Didn't you… start here the same time as us?"

The hesitation was rather noticeable, his calm collectiveness faltering a bit. "Yeah… there was a toolbox I found abandoned in one of the chest boxes. It had written instructions on it…" Chest boxes? He didn't recall managing to see any of them, fading into the back among the tinted blue sky and ominous structures and… painfully sharp meat hooks. He couldn't help but shiver. And the chests can benefit the survivors with toolboxes…

Also, not knowing Jake's profession began to irk away at his mind. "So… are y-you are mec-chanic or…"

He shrugged, before hesitating again, choosing his words carefully. Thinking it out ahead of time. Though unlike him, he can speak clearly. "No, I…" Turned his head, staring at the fog with… frustrated sadness. Maybe even rue. "I have lived on the edge of the woods by myself for years now-

"Woods!? All by yourself?" Claudette's rather loud outburst was more shocking than his rather quant revelation, by everything that has happened in this realm.

He had turned his head back instantly by her voice. Rather calmly. "Yeah, I… It's a long story." He waved off, looking away. "What's important, is that…" And then huffed for a moment. "I've become feral with nature. Struggle, blend in, adapt. I'm used to surviving by any makeshift way possible. So I'm pretty good at stealth, is what I'm trying to say. No matter what is hunting you, you need to stay one step ahead." Then he turned his head back towards them. "I can help you move around the environment more effectively without being seen."

Spirits were raised further. Yet a certain girl remained downtrodden. "You've been living by yourself in the wild for years… I just can't imagine that lifestyle…"

"It's okay, Claud-

"No it's not! No one deserves that fate…" She was clinging onto his shoulder again, looking directly into his eyes. "Could you… at least tell me why?"

"Maybe one day…" The tinge of misery was evident in his soft spoken voice, which lead to the botanist delicately resting against his arm. And there was a compassionate silence for a moment. Dwight didn't feel jealous… he wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. Certainly no ill-will towards the duo who were getting closer to each other. He had shared a look with Meg, who seemed happy enough with what was going on right now.

He made a gesture for Meg to chip in. "Well… If were all really good at different stuff, like, one single thing better than the rest, maybe we should just stick to it." Now she oddly looking a tad smug . "I don't need to do machines. I can take care of running rings around the killer. I mean, I'm the best track runner of all time! I can run for miles and miles without dropping a single sweat. It only managed one hit on me, after all…"

No no no! Is she serious? "But… y-you…" Put the words together man, her arrogance will certainly be her downfall. "You can't outr-run the monster f-forever…"

"Yeah I can. No offense of course, but I'm much better at not getting caught than you three. The killer got lucky to even get close to me."

"B-But what if one of us are being c-chased? And you're on the o-other s-side of the… w-world…" He began rubbing his arm stressfully. "You h-have to be completing a g-generator or y-you're just d-deadweight…" Hopefully he phrased his words in a way where she could understand his perspective and not get upset by what he…

Oh… that fierce glare isn't good. "Excuse me? _Deadweight_? I was-

"Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait that's not what I meant that's not what I meant!" Dwight panicked only for a moment, waving his hands in front of him in a defensive stance, as she was about to stand up towards him. But was taken aback by his sudden unanticipated action. Blinking several times. He's now screwing this up now. "I'm s-sorry if I upset you. I… I was just…"

Attempting to let out his nerves, he took a deep breath, quickly rubbing his face. He didn't realise how much his body was shaking as he tried to compose himself. She had calmed only a little he noticed, seemingly giving him a chance to talk, thankfully. Well, how exactly does he phrase this? "I k-know we're all n-new to this… but if you d-don't try to be natural at fixing generators- I mean, at least g-good enough to fix them by yourself… because if s-someone else is… being… you know, chased, you have to being d-doing the main obj-jective in order to g-get out of h-here…" He took another deep breath, hoping this gets through to her. "You c-can't run wild trying to d-distract the… the monster… it seems to focus in on one t-target… you'd j-just be wasting t-time and energy…"

"Except for when you do it just to save someone else?" Claudette had to ask, looking concerned. Damn. He didn't want to explain his action to her.

"I d-didn't think we'd be doing this over and over. It… f-felt like the right thing to do at the time." Good enough excuse. Well he wasn't lying. The right decision in the heat of the moment… It made her smile at least, even while being rather deflated. Grateful. While the athlete were out of the loop and appearing bewildered.

"Hang on, what happened?" Then Claudette explained to Meg what he had done to save her, every word making him more and more guilt ridden, even if he had not done anything wrong. The look that emerged on Meg and even Jake's face made him turn away. Twiddling his thumbs. Head sinking further towards the floor. "You did that…?" The pigtailed girl queried, shock and astonishment present in her voice. He gave a small nod, turning back to see her face looking like she had spoken. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jake was far more collected to show his shock, but he could still make it out even slightly.

However, he couldn't for the life of him read the face Meg was making. Nothing positive or negative emotions. Perhaps overwhelming shock. The silence hung in the air seemingly forever, until Claudette nervously coughed. "Well… it may not matter now, but… I can't thank you enough. You didn't have to sacrifice yourself to save me."

Yes I had to. He wanted to respond with, but his breath dispersed into hesitance.

"Wow… well, anyways…" She took a moment to herself to think about what he had said previously. "I… can see what you mean." Her chuckle now calmed him much more. "I still think it's better if I'm the brave fool to distract that… thing. But hey, knowing how to fix the mac- generators is… really necessary." She glanced at their two quiet friends who remained to reserve their opinions during all of this. "Of course, I don't want anyone to die for my own sake. Maybe…" She sighed, shaking her head and then hesitating. Huh. "I have to be honest, I only just got away from that asshole. I'm starting to doubt if I can do this alone…" Then she looked into Dwight's eyes. "But I certainly don't have to." And a big smile emerged that he matched almost instantly. Before her face fell flat. "Just try not to call me _Deadweight_ next time, please?"

"…I'm sorry." Almost to a whisper he apologized again, having to look away towards the fog.

"Nah it's fine, D-Dwight. I get it. I shouldn't run around like a headless chicken offering no help towards progress while my teammates die off." When he looked back towards her, he was met with a warm smile again. And he couldn't help but smile as well.

And sat down next to them, sighing with relief. It went better than what he had initially anticipated. Crashing and burning right off the bat. But hey, at least their getting along… fine.

Maybe things won't be so bad after all.

"Well… what now?" The athlete asked. He began to ponder this… before stagnating. Well now they could… uh… "We can't just sit here forever!"

"I don't t-think w-we can g-go anyw-where else…" He glanced at the fog that just remained there, leering on the campfire, consuming the distance as a whole. As it always had throughout their time here. You literally couldn't make anything out from… at least five metres in, Dwight assumed. He didn't want to test that assumption.

Now Meg took her turn to jump up. Rather impatiently. "Maybe we can explore… wherever we are here. Surely there's something. I'm not one for moping on what could've been. We have to keep moving."

He shook his head. "I th-think… this is w-where we go when we… d-die… or escape the m-m… monster… like it's a i-interm-mission inb-between… d-dealing with the monster…"

She frowned at his explanation. Considering his theory, which he believed wasn't far-fetched… he just couldn't quite figure out why… maybe it's pointless to theorize about such things… he couldn't help but think. Eventually she sighed in defeat. While remaining a look of… defiance? "Maybe. But I still don't want to just sit here. I can't help it. I'm… really energetic." There was that cocky smile again. And he wasn't sure about it, but that smile was joyous… and made him feel cautious. Hopefully she's not full of herself. She's… nice. Maybe…

"Yeah, yeah, you're a good runner and all." Claudette rolled her eyes, also giving a cautious glance towards the fog. "But I'm with Dwight here… I don't want to know what's out there."

"Well we know the killer isn't here."

"…It could be out there… we don't know."

She didn't have an answer for that, seemingly acquiescing. Jake cleared his throat. "Well.. if we're really doing this over and over again…" He took a breath. "Should… we try and figure a plan against the Trapper guy?"

Dwight liked that idea. Meg huffed. "I guess I can't just run around all the time…" She smirked towards him, and he froze at her gaze. "Wouldn't want to be Deadweight, right?" He wasn't sure what to think by that statement… but then she started chuckling. "The look that you keep making when you freeze is really funny."

She's only joking. It's only jokes. And… the face he makes is funny? He wished he could be as composed as Jake often seems to be. Getter better at figuring out Meg's sarcasm… He just sighed, and gave a dull 'ha'.

Another throat clearing. "Now anyways, firstly, I have to ask Meg… how did you manage to avoid the monster for so long?"

The hesitation from the athlete was unnerving. She looked away, struggling a little to gather her thoughts. "It…" Then she shuddered, back into sitting on the log. And before anyone knew it, Dwight had moved closer to her out of comfort. And froze after realising his unconscious decision. "It was just… kind of a blur. I kept… dodging him." Then she started to make motions with her hands. "I mean, I kept running around the structures… the killer backtracked his movements to like, cut me off. And I kept matching it, and I seemed to piss it off doing it." She managed a chuckle through the sadness that emerged through her eyes. The following pause felt longer than it should have been. "I noticed when you two, sadly, were caught at the end, you just ran like headless chickens going forward, and not turning your head back, like at all. I…" She huffed with more frustrated this time. And looked away from everyone's gaze. "I wish I had told you all this. I…"

He already rushed to her side the moment he could hear her choking up. The misery evident in her voice. "I kept rushing into situations… trying… to grab it's at-ttention all the time… and I made mistake after mistake… and it led…" His face fell by the sight of hers, tears slowly flowing down her face, eyes forming into red. Surely regretting her decisions with the monster... maybe his deadweight comment struck further than he ever intended. Now he felt guilty. He couldn't stand this sight.

Do what is right.

He wrapped her arms around hers. She accepted it gracefully, sobbing into his neck… which certainly felt weird. The fuzziness was back again. And almost near-instantly as he did, their two friends rushed to her aid as well, to his surprise, joining in on the hug. "It's n-not your f-fault Meg…" He stoked her back as she let it all out. Now he felt like crying too.

"I don't hold anything against you. I forgive you for any ill-will. We were all panicking out of fear, because we care for each other." The botanist comforted, a smile that could warm an oven.

"We can figure it out. I always find a way to figure it out." Jake reassured, as cool as a cucumber.

"We're all in this together." Dwight couldn't help but shed a tear. This group hug was amazing. The bond that's being strengthen by the second made him feel happier and happier. Much more than he could have ever imagined. It was so warm. Maybe… he can trust them dearly. For once, in however long.

They'll figure it out. Maybe they're in hell. But they're all in this together. And… where there's a will, there's a way.


End file.
